Knockdown globular shell



1946- I lsz' 1 2,406,164 v.

KNOCK-DOWN GLOBULAR SHELL- F'iled Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patentecl Aug. 20, 1946 KNOCKDOWN GLOBULAR SHELL Erwin Raisz, Cambridge,Mass, assignor to Global Press, Inc., New New York York, N. Y., acorporation of Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,251.

7 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with knockdown globe-like structuresparticularl of the type useful for geographical or astronomical globes.

It is among the objects of the invention'to provide a globe-like hollowstructure, built from a series of absolutel fiat blanks of sheetmaterial and without resort to implements, or to fastening appliancessuch as nails, rivets, staples or to adhesive, but which may beassembled by hand, by direct interlock of the constituent blanks 'toeach other and which in assembled relation is sufficiently rugged forpractical purposes and not apt to come apart even under fairly roughhandling.

The accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possibleembodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the globe, ing to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale of a portion of th globeas viewed from the interior.

Figs, 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken on line 3-3 and 4-4respectively of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a sheet, showing the entire set of stripsmaking up the globe-like accordstructure.

Referring now to the drawings, the globe-like structure, as best shownin Fig. 1 is made up of a sequence of segmental bands I0, I l,l l andl2, l2 the lateral edges of which are in substantially abuttingrelationship as at b, the circles of abutment lying in the envelopinggeometrical globe indicated in dot and dash lines and to which theglobe-like structure described is an approximation. a

As shown, each of the segments is of frustoconical form, the smaller ofthe segments l 2 being on a more shallow cone, that is, one with alarger apex angle than the segments H of larger diameter. The mediansegment I0 is preferably a cylindrical band as shown, that is, afrusto-conical band of zero apex angle. At one, or if desired, at eachof the polar regions a closure cap it is affixed at its edge to thesmaller periphery of the extreme frusto-conical segment 12.

While the globe-like structur may be made of a larger number of narrowersegments, so as to approximate even more closely the conformation of aperfect sphere, it is sufiicient for practical purposes to conform theglobe of the five segments shown in Fig. 5, with one or two of the endcaps I3.

In the geographical application shown, the segments may be identified asfollows: segment I!) as the Torrid Zone segment; segments II' and H ofsaid strips and complementary extension.

as the Temperate Zone segments; segments 12) and I2 as the Frigid Zonesegments. This terminology is used in the specification and certain ofthe claims merel for convenience, but it will be understood that thecircles of contact-as at b between consecutive segment are notnecessarily along those parallels of latitude which define thedemarcation between the respective geographical zones above identified.

-In the preferred embodiment the globe-like structure is made upentirely of strips of. flexible sheet material. Whileinicertain.applications, it may be made of sheet metal, it is preferredfor most purposes to make it of fairly stiff-paper, preferably offlexible paper board, which while limber has sufficient stiffness. In apreferred embodiment shown the Torrid Zone segment in is a generallyrectangular band of length substantially equal to the equatorialperiphery of the globe, and, of width, illustrativel shown in' thedrawings as of 30 degrees, that is, of one-twelfth its length. Y

The strips making up the Temperate Zone bands, 1. e., the strips I l andI I constitute, each a sector of an annulus as shown. Each isillustratively of a width of 30 degrees, corresponding tothe width ofband It and is struck on a radius readily determined, so that whenclosed into the frusto-conicalband form, it will fit into thegeometrically spherical enveloping form suggested in Fig. 1. The largerouter or convex edge l5 of each Temperate Zone segment strips ll and! lis, of course, equal to the length of the Torrid Zone strip H).

Similarly each strip l2 and I2 making up a Frigid Zone segment is asector of an annulus,

struck on much smaller radius, and extending for much more nearly thecomplete periphery than do sectors l l and H Each of sectors I2 and I2,when closed forms a frusto-conical Frigid Zone segment, with the largerbase formed by convex edge It, equal in length and periphery to thesmaller or concave base ll of the Temperate Zone segment; The polar cap.13 is of diameter or periphery to fit the aperture'defined by thesmaller or concave base iii of the Frigid Zone segment 12'.

While the ends of each strip may be attached together by any suitablemeans, to form the corresponding cylindrical or frusto-conical segment,as the case may be, it is preferable to provide a unitary dove-tailtongue 20 at one end of each tongues 2| and M at the opposite end;defining therebetween an undercut slot or gate 22 for ac:-

' consecutive segments are intermeshed at them-- ner face of theglobe-like structure as best shown in Fig. 2. Thus, as shown, theconsecutive segments will abut edgewise as at 24 and 25 and are held inassembled relation by the-intermeshing V dove-tail tongues.

The north polar disk shown likewise has dovetail tongues '23 thereabout,which intermesh with .the corresponding dove-tail tongues .23 on theassociated smaller base ['8 of the frigid zone seg- It will beunderstood that the opening 21 at the South Pole could be used formounting ment l2.

the globe-like structure upon a pedestal or other .'suitable' support,orif desired,it could be closed by a south polar plate, similar to theplate I3 above described. V r

It will be understood that the various strips from which the globe is tobe constructed may all be imprinted with their appropriate mapsegmerits: (not shown in Fig. 5), upon a single sheet 30 of paper board,as shown in Fig. 5, from which "the several strips 10,: H, H I2, I 2 andi3 e may be cut out by scissors or, if desired, the sheet peripherallyfor building up the'globe-like structul The dove-tail tongues" 23 willnot only look the segments against direct separation and againstrelative rotary displacement but will also maintain the contiguous edgesof consecutive segments against relative tilting and. they assureaccurate edge to edge alignment.

joints are staggered with respect to the others as best shown in Fig. 2.The structure is mechanically strong, since each segment, especiallythose that are frusto-conical, withstands substantial compressive strainand the correlation of the segments results in a truss-likereinforcement along each diameter. The structure is sufficiently ruggedto permit relatively rough handling without injury thereto or comingapart. It is understood of course that the edges of the segments may, ifdesired, be made to extend parallel to meridians, rather than to theequator, if desired. V

The term knock-down as applied to the globe-like structure is intendedto define the relationship whereby the globe may be built up from fiatstrips, as shown, and may be disassembled into flat strips forconvenience of storage or shipment. The term knock-down is not intendedto exclude the possibility however of stapling,

or otherwise securingthe' parts formed as Preferably the" strips 7 7 are'so imprinted that at least some of the lateral lindrical band, av polardisk abutting the edge of shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into a permanentstructure, if desired.

7 While the invention has its preferred applicability to geographicalglobes or to astronomical globes, it will'be understood that it is alsouseful for other purposes, as for instance, for lamp shades orornamental displays.

7 As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1-. A' hollow, knock-downglobe-like structure of sheet material,comprising a median hollow bandflanked at each of its sides by asequence of frustro-conical bands, said bands being releasablyinterlocked in a self-sustaining structure, the junction lines betweenconsecutive bands lying substantially in the enveloping geometricalspherical surface. v

2. A hollow, knock-downglobe-like structure of sheet material,comprising a medianhollow band flanked at each of its sides by asequence of frustro-conical bands, said'bands being releasablyinterlocked in a self-sustaining structure,

with the free edge of at least one of th extreme frustro-conical bands.3. A hollow, knock-down globe-like structure, composed of fiat strips offlexible sheet material,

each forming an approximation to a segment of a globe surface, the endsof each strip being connected together to form the segment, the varioussegments being in laterally abutting relationship, the lines of abutmentbeing on circles of the enveloping geometrical sphere, each strip havinglateral dove-tail tongues unitary therewith and' in the plane thereof,the dove-tail tongues of contiguous segments intcrmeshing at the innersurface of the globe-like structure.

4. A hollow-knock-down globe-like structure comprising a mediancylindrical band flanked, at eachof its sides by a sequence offrusto-conical bands, consecutive bands being laterally in edge to edgeabutting relationship, the various boundary lines of said bandsextending as circles in the enveloping geometrical sphericalsurface,xeach of said bands being com osed of a fiat strip of flexiblesheet material, relatively stiii ,thereacross, each having lateraldove-tail tongues unitary therewith and in the planethereof, saidtongues of the consecutive segments being intermeshed at the interior ofthe structure.

5. A' hollow, geographical knock-down globelike structure, comprising anequatorial cylinder band and duplicate sets of frusto-conical bandsforming segments abutting in substantially edge to edge relationship atopposite sides of the cythe extreme frusto-conical band, the varioustail tongues laterally protruding at one side thereof in the planethereof and in-termeshed with those of the adjacent band at the innerface of the structure.

6. A hollow, geographical knock-down globe, composed of wholly fiatsheets of flexible paper board including a cylindrical Torrid Zone band,a series of sectors of annuli, forming a pair of frusto-conicalTemperate Zone bands and a pair of frusto-conical Frigid Zone bands,.the larger base of each of the Temperate Zone bands being equal incircumference to that of the Torrid Zone band and the larger base ofeach of th Frigid Zone bands being equal in circumference to that of thesmaller base of the Temperate Zone bands, the abutting demarcation linesbetween the respective bands comprising circles in the surface of theenveloping geometrical sphere, and a polar disk closing the smaller baseof at least one of the Frigid Zone segments, each of said segmentshaving unitary with the lateral edges thereof a sequence of dove-tailtongues, the tongues of each segment intermeshing at the inner face ofthe globe-like structure with the complementary tongues of thecontiguous segment.

and a generally circular cap sheet, said rectangu lar sheet having meansfor securing the ends thereof together to form acylindrical shell, theannular segment sheets having like means to form frusto-conical shells,the larger base of the largest shells being substantially equal inperiph ery to that of the cylindrical shell and the larger base of thenext largest segmental shells being substantially equal in periphery tothe smaller base of the largest frusto-com'cal shells, the cap diskbeing of periphery substantially equal to that of the smaller base ofthe smallest frustoconical shell, each segmental unit having dovetailtongues unitary therewith, protruding from the lateral edges thereof andin the respective planes thereof, the dove-tail tongues of thecontiguous shells being interlocked in the interior of the structure.

ERWIN RAISZ.

